Coming back from vacation, students have been faced with a bunch of assignments that they have to get done. With school work piling up, activities in full swing, and, for many, IB deadlines that they cannot put off, students are having a non-stop accumulation of stress. It is crucial that they adopt strategies to help them manage their work as well as their fun in the best way possible. This article hopes to provide you with things you can do in order to de-stress at times where school work, your social life, and IB deadlines are all piling up. 

1. Do Yoga 

Yoga is said to provide people with a deep relaxation that will help them clear their heads and be ready for a day of studying and concentration. According to Mayo Clinic, “Yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines that may help you achieve peacefulness of body and mind. This can help you relax and manage stress and anxiety.” Additionally, when yoga is combined with meditation, people are able to better control their stress levels and breathing, especially when everything piles up and there seems to be no better solution than to absolutely freak out. A good recommendation for a place to practice yoga in a studio called Vidya studio, where you can choose between a class of hot yoga or sweat yoga, both recommended for people who need some time to simply turn off their brains and focus on their well beings. Another option for those trying to save up time and money is to search for short yoga lessons on YouTube, something that could be easily incorporated into your morning routine and that could make a huge difference in how you go through your day. Channels such as Yoga with Adriene or Yoga by Candace are great starting points. 

2. Eat Good Food 

Eating good food can obviously mean eating healthy, but it can also be simply enjoying your favorite snack or favorite “unhealthy” dish. According to Everyday Health, “The amount and quality of nutrients you take in over time can impact the body’s neural circuits that control emotion, motivation, and mood.” When you eat food you like, you automatically become happier, and that is a way you can deal with your stress. Often times, people tend to forget to take time off to eat their meals or get a full meal when they are stressed about school work and other things. That can be incredibly detrimental to both health, as they aren’t eating correctly, as well as their to their happiness and mood. If people don’t eat enough, they are more likely to get mad, irritable, and frustrated, causing them to accumulate more stress due to smaller issues, making them even more challenging to deal with.

3. Work out 

When you work out, your body releases hormones called endorphins that help raise your mood and consequently make you more productive, awake and excited about doing things. Even though working out might seem like a loss of time you could be using studying, doing some of it every week will help reduce the stress levels. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Exercise is also considered vital for maintaining mental fitness, and it can reduce stress. Studies show that it is very effective at reducing fatigue […] and at enhancing overall cognitive function.” However, you shouldn’t only work out because it makes your brain happier: when you work out, you focus on things that are not necessarily school-related, and therefore, you get a chance to clear your mind of any preoccupation and worry that would make you upset at the moment, helping you stay healthy and happy at the same time. 

4. Make a plan

Finally, as all good things need to come to an end after you have done all of these things, it is important to construct a plan. Even though in the modern world everything is technological, it is recommended that people still write things down on a physical, paper agenda. This will help with remembering and with organization, as the brain works a lot better when you write things down rather than typing them up. According to Wellsource, “Planning can take as little as 5 to 10 minutes out of your day but can make the entire day much less stressful and more productive. If [people] jump from task to task with no definite plan or goal in mind, they can quickly get overburdened and overly stressed.” Also, another option for planning can be making lists, where you write down everything you need to do during the course of the day. That way you cross out what you have already done, and you will feel more organized and accomplished. When making a plan, it is important to consider how long you want to spend on certain things and how you will approach them, that way making it easier for you when you open up the agenda to get ready and start working. 

In conclusion, when everything starts seeming like too much to handle, it is always important to remember that there are people beside you going through similar things. So, why not talk to others, ask for help and even ask for suggestions on how to better cope with so many deadlines and assignments? Just like everything in your life, it is always important to find a balance, so remember to keep doing the things that you enjoy doing, as they will help you clear your mind of the things that are feeling overwhelming. 

Sources: Wellsource Inc, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Everyday Health, Mayo Clinic.